Original Research Paper Volume-8 | Issue-6 | June-2018 | PRINT ISSN No 2249-555X Social Science CLASS FORMATION AMONG MISHING TRIBES OF ASSAM: A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY OF MALIPUR VILLAGE OF ASSAM Priyanka Tamuli Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hill. ABSTRACT The term they are generally regarded the original dweller of India. The tribe has their distinct identity like endogamous, own religion, distinct area, own culture and identity. But modern education, property ownership and adaptation of new occupation has significant role in the formation of the class. Mishing is the second highest tribal community of Assam. They have their own culture, language and social institution. The new class system is emerging among Mishing people so that now a day's social stratification is there. It gives birth to division based on income, wealth and privilege. Through this study of economic inequalities and the land relation of Mishing society can help to the portrayed class formation and class position in Mishing society. KEYWORDS : class formation, economy, occupation, stratification, income. Introduction: The term 'tribe' is not clearly mentioned in the comparable to Assamese people. Life-style of those large land owners constitution of India. They are generally regarded the original dweller are similar to upper class non-tribal people, where poor peasant stick to of India. In the Indian subcontinent, the tribe has their distinct identity their traditional lifestyle. like endogamous, own religion, distinct area, own culture and identity. Tribal people of India are known as “Schedule tribe” by the Indian Tribal society is not similar to caste based society. In India, caste constitution under the fifth schedule. In article “Class formation system provides us a strict sense of occupation. But in tribal society among tribes in India: a brief review” written by Rajatsubhra this kind of strictness of occupation has not seen today.. According to Mukhopadhyay mention that tribe is a homogeneous, non- the primary data, Mishing society is primarily agricultural society. In hierarchical, non- differentiated or un-stratified unit. But modern Malipur village, peoples have their own land and cultivated paddy education, property ownership and privileged has significant role in farming with some of cash crop cultivation. Mishing social the formation of the class. stratification is largely based on land ownership and income source. It's about 51 percentages. In addition to cultivation, they earn means of Mishing is the second highest tribal community of Assam. They have livelihood with engaged with the animal husbandry. There are 6 their own culture, language and social institution. Mishing is percentage of people are occupied with small scale business like considered as homogeneous communities. But among them, mobile repairing centre, shop, tailoring, beauty parlor, cooperative heterogeneity is also present. Clan-based, gender-based, class-based shop, motor cycle repairing centre etc. Those professions are newly inequalities are clearly visible among them. In Mishing society women emerged in Mishing society. Wage labors are another important section are often neglected and they are next to men. On the other hand, the of the society. They constitute 32 percentages of the total Mishing new class system is emerging among Mishing people so that now a people of that area they are mainly engaged with manual works at the day's social stratification is there. low price. Wage of those laborers in between Rs 100-300. People who work on agricultural field earn around 100-150 Rs and people who Sachchidananda (1990; 297-98) argues that “a significant impact of works on building construction may earn about 200-300 Rs. Wage political-economic change in independent India is the accentuation of laborers of Mishing society faced problem on improbability of work. social inequality in tribal society”. He summarized that with the tempo In winter season rate of work availability is high. They are bottom of of modernization and developments, the tribes in India are getting the social strata and economically, politically backward people. Wage differentiated on class line. Hence, in modern India, the state has also laborers are strict towards their traditional belief, practices. Any kind vital role to creating classes. Constitutionally, the state is trying to of Modern aspect, development scheme of government could never empower economic, educational and political interests of tribal groups cover up them. but it's become family or individual centric. Therefore a new class emerges among tribes of India. It gives birth to division based on Along with the different occupation pattern, income sources of income, wealth and privilege. Mishing society are different. But it is an important characteristic that, there are not vast varieties in annual income. Even most of them did not An appropriate understanding of economic inequalities and the land give proper picture about their annual income. In Malipur area, most of relation of Mishing society can help to the portrayed class formation the people were not able to get annual income of them. They gave an and class position in Mishing society. By examining those phenomena approximate monthly income. According to the above information, it can help to formulate policies and development scheme by the income of 29 household has 0000-27000, which is very low. Those legislator in general. section of society always struggle for the survival. They are mainly wage earner. There work is like agricultural labour, construction METHODOLOGY labour, domestic labour etc. On the other side 21 household has For this study, fieldwork was undertaken within the particular village, between 27001-54000, 16 household has 54001-81000, 23 household Malipur. For studying land relation and mobility both qualitative and has annual income about 81001-108000 , 28 of household has quantitative methods were used. Both primary and secondary sources 108001-135000, 11 of household has annual income about 135001- were used for data collection. For the primary data collection, both 162000, and 9 household has about 162001-189000, 2 household has structured and unstructured interview was taken by researcher. The 189001-216000, 2 household has 216001-243000, 3 household has researcher has collected data from Malipur village. The cooperative annual income 243001-270000, 1 of Household who have 270000- natures of the Mishing society hugely helped are gathering the data. 297000, 1 household has 2970001-324000 and has 2 household has The researcher visited the field in 2different phases. above 324000rs, who are government employees. So it has been seen that, Mishing people are not equal in terms of economic point of view. Discussion: Due to the modern education system, Mishing people are become Economic aspect: highly educated. On other case, Mishing women are become aware for In that village, 9% of people are Government employees. They earn their development so that, they engaged with skill development regular salaries and have some savings. Government employees have programme as well as some vocational courses like beauty parlour, dominant over the land and agricultural facilities. They invest money tailoring etc. A very minimal number of Mishing women are engaged to develop their means of production. They also are willing to do with organized work like ASHA, Agnganbadi workers, teacher etc, it's cultivation. Government employees have dominance on economic about 4% to total household. In case of boys, they engaged with aspects too; they lend money and land to disadvantaged villagers. They training programmes like mobile repairing, ITI etc. It has been show have close contact with non-tribal people therefore their lifestyle is that, Mishing society is not homogeneous. There are occupies with INDIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH 49 Volume-8 | Issue-6 | June-2018 | PRINT ISSN No 2249-555X varieties of work. Therefore, economic differences have seen in publication 3. Shah, Ghanshyam,1979, “tribal identity and class differentiation: a case study of the Mishing society. Literacy rate of Luhitmukh village is 67.80%. Chaudhri tribe”, EPW, vol-14, no-718, pp-459-464 Modern education highly influenced on them. There are 30 male/ 4. Sharma, K, L 1980. Essays on Social stratification. Jaipur. Rawat publication. female members who are graduate. 9 students are pursing graduation. 5. Sharmah. K. L. 2011. “Indian social structure and change”, Rawat publication, Jaipur, pp-198-211 and 96-107 Therefore modern education system has also helped to create 6. Singh, K S. 1982. “Transformation of tribal society: integration Vs assimilation” EWP, stratification system in Mishing dominated area. 17 (33), pp-1318-25. 7. Sonowal, C. J, 2008, “ Indian tribes and issues of social inclusion and exclusion”, Studied tribes, tribal, vol-6(2), pp-123-134 Their own land and cultivated paddy farming with some cash crop cultivation. More the half of the population hold cultivation as primary occupation. It's about 51 percentages. In addition to cultivation, they earn means of livelihood through with the animal husbandry. There are 6 percentage of people are occupied with small scale business like mobile repairing centre, shop, tailoring, beauty parlor, cooperative shop, motor cycle repairing centre etc. Those professions are newly emerged in Mishing society. Due to commercialization of traditional cloths women in Mishing society are highly engaged with the weaving or textile. Women of that area make various product like Mekhela, chador, Gamusa, shawl etc. Traders from Guwahati, came in that area and collect their cloths with best prices. Through selling that product, most of the women in that area become independent, which help to look after their family. But due to heavy household activities many of them can't give time to weaving. Modern education system, adaptation of new occupation and developmental scheme has given rise to stratification nature of Mishing society. Now a day they are aware of boodles of work opportunities. Now Mishing peoples are engaged with the different works like but mobile repairing centre, computer center, driver, small scale business, tailoring, company job in outside the state etc.